Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1887-06-15
NOT SO STRANGE.
Why a Breton Woman Was Wild
With Despair.

Two American boys stood in the door
of hotel in Brittany, watching with
discontinued faces the low-hanging
clouds, and the trees on the opposite
hills bowling before stiff northwest
wind-the storm-wind of Brittany.
1.-The sea is too rough" said Rob, dis
consolately.
mot at ALL" replied Frank. 81
think we can CO."
Surely, Frank, you will not attempt
it. You must see that we are in for
northwestern storm. 1t will be blowing
great guns out of sea-"
Robert and Frank Hewlin were men,
bers of an American family who had
been spending a year in rapid travel
over the face of Europe. Having been
in all the celebrated cities, they were
now settled for the summer in this
quietcst and tiniest of Breton villages,
Pont Arot.
To the two boys, the change from sight
seeing and life on trains was delightful.
Once more they could be boys, and, as
Rob said, there were few things, such
as trees and trout, which were not of
the thirteenth century" But of all
the pleasures of the change, none
equalized that afforded by boating.
They had not handled sail nor row.
boat since they left their New Bedford
home, and therefore the Arot, filled
with craft of all sizes and varieties,
was to them an irresistible attraction.
Their father had given them boat, u
little beauty, fresh from the docks of
st. Malo; but in giving it, he had made
it II condition of his gift that they
should never cross the bar at the mouth
of the river, unless Joseph" an ex-
perienced sailor. was with them.
The boys had been especially anxious
to try their boat, the Star, on the open
sea, but Joseph had been busy with II
Gland job" which seemed endless TO
the boys. They had grown tired of
waiting for him, and so wearied Mr..
Hrwln with their entreaties to be al
lowed to 90 out alone, that finally he
yielded Il reluctant consent, with the
provision that if, on reaching the har-
Dor, they found the surf high, they
would not attempt to cross the bar.
AS they sailed. the grassy hills grew
more and more bare, and gradually
there was Il change to rugged masses
of granite, which ut the rivers mouth
lowered cliff OH cliff high above the
blue beauty of the Bay of Biscay.
Drawing near the mouth, they could
see the open waters, and right before
them the bar, marked by double line
of white breakers. A glance sufliced
To show them that the passage was i'm
possible. Lets land on that little
beach to the right" said Rob.
They were obliged To take to their
oars in order to land, aud this was eff
tectDd with much difficulty. Cold, wet
and hungry. they rowcd against wind
and tide, until ut last, when their arms
seemed ready TO drop out, they came to
the sandy beach. Above the beach were
cliffs.
Their first care was to make % fire of
the driftwood which they hastily col
lcctcd, but their second thought was
for the lunch basket. They had ham to
cook and eggs to boil and they went
vigorously to work, first having spread
| their wet jackets before the blaze. The
Icdgc of their appctites was keen. Sell
dom had lunch tasted so good. Bob
was just beginning on his fifth dough-
nut think of doughnuts in France
when they were startled by shrill call
from above them.
Turning, they saw woman standing
nj the top of the nearest cliff, screaming
tn them with all her strength, waving
her arms wildly and pointing out to
SEA with gestures of-dcspair. They fol-
lowed the direction of her hand, but
saw only the waves rising and falling,
only the surf beating on the bar. Again
and again the woman called and beck
oncd to them; again and again they
looked blankly towards the horizon,
then, seeing that she was not under
stood, she began to climb down the side
of the cliff.
The boys watched her in breathless
fear. Neither of them would have dared
to make the perilous descent; yet on
she came, some times swinging herself
oven :, bowlder till her feet. found q
resting place beneath, then on again,
in what seemed reckless leaps, from
rock to rock! They ran to meet her,
and reached the cliff just as the woman,
torn, breathless, bleeding, staggered to
its foot
Before she could speak they had time
to SEE that she was a peasant woman,
her dress and cap denoting her to be OF
the class which lives far from towns and
cities. She had lost both her sabots In
her journey down the elf, but at hei
back still hung the coarse wicker basket
used by the fish wives on that coast.
She was young and strong, and Oh hel
face was look of terror and despair
such as the boys had never seen before
In moment she began to speak
rapidly in language which neither OF
the boys understood, but which they
knew 10 be Breton, the ancient Ian
guage of these curious peasant folks
Rob shook his head and said IN
French: 1--WE do not understand Bre
ton, but we both speak French"
The woman's face grew pale Us sh,
heard; she began even more huriicdl,
! and excitedly to pour out some tale il